Mainstage #1

Mainstage #1

SUMMARY

It's 1934, and Shakespeare's most famous fairies, Oberon and Puck, have magically materialized on the Warner Bros. Hollywood set of Max Reinhardt's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Instantly smitten by the glitz and glamour of show biz, the two are ushered onto the silver screen to play (who else?) themselves. With a little help from a feisty flower, blonde bombshells, movie moguls, and arrogant "asses" are tossed into loopy love triangles, with raucous results. The mischievous magic of moviedom sparkles in this hilarious comic romp.

LOUELLA PARSONS - first American movie gossip columnist and radio personality

MAX REINHARDT - 60's, film director, German accent

DICK POWELL - 20's, actor, good-looking/boyish; plays Lysander

JACK WARNER - head of Warner Bros. studio; "tough as nails"

DARYL - 25-30's, assistant to Jack; known in the film buisness as a "yes-man"

LYDIA LANSING - beautiful blond starlet with a whiny, show-girl voice

OBERON - a character from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream; He is King of the faries

PUCK - a character from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream; He is a servant to Oberon, who is clever and mischievous

OLIVIA DARNELL - 20s, a movie actress, a Hollywood starlet

WILL HAYS- 50's, movie censor

JOE E. BROWN actor and comedian; plays Flute

JIMMY CAGNEY - actor and dancer; plays Nick Bottom

ENSEMBLE - cameramen, seamstresses, drink runners, etc.

The play is written for 12 actors; 4 women and 8 men. The actors playing Hays, Brown, Cagney, Powell and Daryl double as Albert, Harry, Sam, Groucho, Tarzan and the Cowboy. (this is what the play suggests, however, we will cast what is in the best interest of PCH)

Full Length Play

Comedy; Farce

Includes Physical Comedy, Stage Combat

and Special Effects

CAST SIZE

8m 4w

TIME PERIOD

1934

SETTING

Hollywood; on the set of the Warner Bros. film of Max Reinhardt's A Midsummer Night's Dream.